Steward to lay off about 1,250 workers as it closes two hospitals in Massa. – The Boston Globe

The company said there are more than a thousand positions open at other Steward hospitals in Massachusetts and has held job fairs to organize the transfers.

“The decision to close Carney and Nashoba hospitals is one we deeply regret,” the statement said.

Governor Maura Healey’s spokesperson issued a statement on Saturday that condemned “irresponsible business practices” by Steward and CEO Ralph de la Torre, for the upcoming closure of the hospital.

“These nurses and health care workers are going to work every day in the midst of all this uncertainty and they are serving their patients with dedication,” said Karissa Hand, the attorney.

The company filed job notices with state officials on Monday, and indicated that the job losses will begin Aug. 31, four weeks from now, according to information published online by the MassHire Department of Employment Services. Director, the Texas-based for-profit health care company, filed for bankruptcy on May 6.

Employers are required by law to notify state, local officials, and employees at least 60 days in advance of a layoff or closure of a workplace.

The state also has a law that requires hospital operators to give 120 days notice before closing, but on Wednesday a Houston bankruptcy judge gave the company permission to close both hospitals soon, by the end of the month. Steward wants to sell the eight hospitals it operates in Massachusetts to pay off debts, but says it has not received qualifying offers for Carney or Nashoba Valley Medical Center.

Mayor Michelle Wu said Saturday the city wants Carney to remain open for 120 days to protect hospital staff and patients and maintain access to health services during the transition.

In a statement, he blamed Steward’s “greed and failure to put employees and patients first” for the job losses. The city wants to help residents and workers move when the hospital closes, Wu said.

In a July filing in bankruptcy court, Steward said the company needed to close both hospitals soon because it lacked the cash to support their operations. Carney had a loss of $14.7 million in the first five months of the year, and Nashoba Valley lost $2.3 million, excluding interest, taxes and other accounting charges.

Both hospitals are also losing patients quickly, according to the filing, which says Carney has just 49 patients and Nashoba Valley has 31 patients.

Hand, the Healey spokesman, said the “quick response” teams are there to educate Steward’s workers about unemployment insurance programs, open positions in their field, and job search training. There are also government-sponsored training opportunities and services at MassHire Career Centers are offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Vietnamese.

Hand said many Carney Nashoba Valley employees have already found new jobs, and the Healey administration expects the remaining employees to do the same.

He urged Steward to act quickly at other Massachusetts hospitals.

“Steward, their lenders and real estate partners need to immediately complete the remaining hospitals,” Hand said.

On Tuesday, a Houston bankruptcy judge is expected to rule on a plan to advance $30 million in Medicaid money owed to Steward by MassHealth, the state agency that insures low-income patients, to help save more hospitals. six works until the new owners in the area.

Funds are placed with Steward to complete the sale of the hospitals before they run out of money and close them.

Information from previous Globe stories was used in this report.


Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow him @lauracrimaldi.


#Steward #lay #workers #closes #hospitals #Massa #Boston #Globe

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top